Sports Lyle Richardson @@SpectorsHockey Featured Columnist IV Can also 20, 2024 Surprise Landing Spots for High 2024 NHL Free Agents 0 of seven
Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. Joel Auerbach/Getty Photos
The 2024 NHL free-agent market opens at noon ET on July 1. As soon as the Stanley Cup playoffs relish ended, we will have the selection to put a query to hundreds of media hypothesis over the put the discontinuance unrestricted free agents will land.
Amongst the discontinuance names eligible for UFA plight are Tampa Bay Lightning winger Steven Stamkos, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault.
Most of these pending UFAs could discontinuance up re-signing with their present golf equipment, nonetheless some will transfer on to novel teams willing to pay them extra.
Some could additionally gain all individuals off guard by joining teams no one anticipated them to sign with. We relish considered that form of thing sooner than. On July 13, 2022., the Columbus Blue Jackets unnerved NHL followers by signing winger Johnny Gaudreau to a profitable seven-twelve months deal.
Here is a relish a look at some horrible landing spots for this summer’s prime NHL UFAs and why they’d be an exact fit with these golf equipment.
Without a doubt feel free to weigh in with your tips on this topic in the app feedback below.
Elias Lindholm: Buffalo Sabres 1 of seven
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After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres entered this season hoping to whole their lengthy playoff drought. As a replacement, their offensive manufacturing declined and in divulge that they uncared for the postseason for the 13th straight season.
The Sabres are loaded with precise young skills nonetheless need skilled two-draw depth at center. That is the put Elias Lindholm could approach in. While he could discontinuance up signing with a extra established playoff crew, there’s also the different of landing with one on the verge love the Sabres.
The 29-twelve months-outdated became once traded by the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks in January. His manufacturing suffered in allotment thanks to a nagging wrist anguish, ending with 12 aspects in 26 regular-season video games as a Canuck. However, he is stepped up in the postseason, sitting third amongst their scorers with 5 targets and 9 aspects in 12 video games.
When healthy, Lindholm is a highly skilled two-draw center. He is also proved in a position to striking up gigantic offensive numbers, netting a profession-most effective 42 targets and 82 aspects in 2021-22 skating alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk with the Flames.
The Sabres cling scoring wingers love Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, and JJ Peterka. They even relish promising young of us reminiscent of Jack Quinn and Zach Benson, with Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund and Matthew Savoie of their pipeline.
Lindholm will be an comfy addition to any aggregate of these wingers. He’d provide the invaluable depth and trip at center they would want to whole their playoff drought.
With $23.2 million of cap rental and 12 energetic roster avid gamers below contract for 2024-25, the Sabres relish room to sign Lindholm to a long-term deal charge between $7 million and $8 million every twelve months. They would perchance want to shed a small of wage, reminiscent of Jordan Greenway and his $3 million cap hit, to provide themselves a small extra wiggle room.
Brandon Montour: Ottawa Senators 2 of seven
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The Ottawa Senators relish appreciable depth on the left aspect of their defense corps with Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Jakob Chychrun. However, they’re skinny in connected skills amongst their appropriate-aspect blueliners.
That be troubled contributed to the Senators missing the playoffs despite possessing a promising roster in present years. Failure to suitably address this by traditional manager Steve Staios could shuffle away them outside subsequent season’s postseason image.
Brandon Montour will be appropriate the fix for Ottawa. He could change into readily available if the Florida Panthers re-sign Sam Reinhart to a luxurious novel contract. They relish got $19.7 million in cap rental for subsequent season with 14 energetic roster avid gamers below contract.
The 30-twelve months-outdated is an eight-twelve months NHL outmoded. He came into his relish as a puck-transferring defenseman after being obtained by the Panthers from the Buffalo Sabres all the draw thru the 2020-21 season. If he finally ends up attempting out the market, he’ll be intrigued by the different of joining a young crew poised to interrupt thru as a playoff contender.
That included a profession-most effective 73-level performance in 2022-23. No topic missing the first 16 video games of this season getting better from offseason shoulder surgical operation, he aloof tallied 33 aspects in 66 video games.
Montour is also a procure playoff performer, tallying eight targets and 13 aspects in 21 video games all the draw thru the Panthers’ fling to the 2023 Stanley Cup Last. He at this time has eight aspects in 11 postseason contests.
That diploma of capacity and trip would own Montour a in point of fact perfect addition to the Senators defense. They would perchance want to pay as much as land him as he’ll survey a immense expand over his $3.5 million common annual price. It would possibly in all probability price between $6 million and $7 million on a six- or seven-twelve months contract.
The Senators relish $12.2 million in cap room subsequent season with 16 energetic roster avid gamers signed. They would perchance design cap room by procuring and selling Chychrun and his $4.6 million cap hit for draft picks and prospects and employ the financial savings to sign Montour.
Patrick Kane: Florida Panthers 3 of seven
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The Florida Panthers will are trying and sign excessive-scoring appropriate fly Sam Reinhart to a contract extension sooner than July 1. With $19.7 million in projected cap rental for subsequent season with 14 energetic roster avid gamers, they’re going to be out of unbiased appropriate fortune if he seeks over $10 million every twelve months.
That would perchance perchance shuffle away Panthers traditional manager Invoice Zito in the marketplace for a scoring appropriate winger. He could pursue someone love Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault, nonetheless he could discontinuance up being a luxurious choice coming off a 42-aim performance.
Given the Panthers’ restricted cap rental, Zito could need to rob existing of additional reasonably priced transient alternate ideas. Patrick Kane will be someone who matches the bill.
The 35-twelve months-outdated’s most effective seasons are in the relieve of him, nonetheless he is aloof an effective 2nd-pairing winger. Coming off a hip resurfacing job final June, he had 20 targets and 47 aspects in 50 video games with the Detroit Crimson Wings this season. He is coming off a one-twelve months, $2.8 million contract.
Kane obtained’t change Reinhart’s 57 targets, nonetheless he can aloof be a functional addition to the Panthers’ prime six forwards. He has appreciable trip and is a 3-time Stanley Cup champion. He’d be an exact outmoded addition to a crew in “gain-now” mode love the Panthers..
The Panthers could sign Kane to a one-twelve months, plus-35 contract with a $2 million substandard wage with performance bonuses that would rob him as much as between $4 million and $5 million.
Jonathan Marchessault: Utah 4 of seven
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The Arizona Coyotes’ relocation to Utah also gives them a novel owner in billionaire Ryan Smith. He’s going to be willing to speculate extra on this membership than its old ownership, permitting traditional manager Invoice Armstrong the different to insist in skilled veterans with playoff trip to handbook its young avid gamers.
Jonathan Marchessault will be an exact fit right here. He is ending a six-twelve months contract with the Vegas Golden Knights with an common annual price of $5 million.
The 33-twelve months-outdated winger is an common member of the Vegas Golden Knights and played a unquestionably crucial position in turning the crew correct into a perennial playoff contender. He obtained the Conn Smythe Trophy final season whereas main them to their first Stanley Cup. In his seven seasons with Vegas, he tallied 20-plus targets six cases and 44 or extra aspects seven cases.
The Golden Knights relish restricted cap rental for 2024-25 with $897, 516 with 20 energetic avid gamers below contract. They would perchance bag an additional $5 million in wiggle room if goaltender Robin Lehner stays on long-term anguish reserve. However, that obtained’t shuffle away necessary cap room for Marchessault and their different free agents.
Marchessault and Vegas traditional manager Kelly McCrimmon hope to bag an extension done sooner than July 1. If that doesn’t happen, the outmoded winger need to bag a novel residence.
Going to Utah would allow Marchessault to rob over a management position with a young crew poised for postseason contention. With $43.3 million in cap rental for subsequent season, it’d additionally manage to pay for to pay him a healthy expand of between $7 million and $8 million every twelve months on a 3- or four-twelve months deal.
Jake Guentzel: Nashville Predators 5 of seven
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Got from the Pittsburgh Penguins by the Carolina Hurricanes sooner than the March change decrease-off date, Jake Guentzel compulsory small time to modify to his novel membership. He netted 25 aspects in 17 video games with the Hurricanes and 9 aspects in 11 playoff contests.
The 29-twelve months-outdated winger is ending a 5-twelve months contract with an annual cap hit of $6 million. He is a confirmed offensive forward, eclipsing 70 aspects this season (77) for the fourth time in his eight-season NHL profession. A Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins in 2016-17, he also has 38 targets and 67 aspects in 69 playoff contests.
The Hurricanes will are trying and re-sign Guentzel sooner than his UFA eligibility on July 1. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll be amongst the most sought-after avid gamers on this summer’s free-agent market.
A crew in the hunt for scoring depth, love the Nashville Predators, could approach calling if he hits the originate market. A lack of offensive punch became once a key ingredient of their first-spherical elimination at the arms of the Vancouver Canucks, tallying two targets or less in four of the six video games in that series.
Guentzel would provide the Predators with an affect scorer. He in most cases skates on the left fly nonetheless could additionally play on the precise aspect. With Filip Forsberg entrenched as their first-line left winger, Guentzel could play on that aspect with Thomas Novak as his center and Luke Evangelista at appropriate fly. He could additionally play appropriate fly on the Forsberg line.
The Predators relish $19.3 million in projected cap rental for 2024-25 with 16 energetic roster avid gamers below contract. They would perchance manage to pay for to pay Guentzel a long-term deal charge between $8.5 million and $9.5 million. The Predators could bag one other $5 million in cap room if they change Juuse Saros to own room for promising Yaroslav Askarov.
Sam Reinhart: Chicago Blackhawks 6 of seven
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Chicago has been rebuilding below traditional manager Kyle Davidson for the past two seasons. It has a franchise player in rookie huge name Connor Bedard nonetheless must surround him with skilled, skilled skills.
With $33.8 million in projected cap rental and 14 energetic roster avid gamers signed for subsequent season, it has hundreds of cap rental to add a first-rate unrestricted free agent reminiscent of Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers.
He has tallied not not as much as 40 aspects in every of his 9 NHL seasons. He loved a profession-most effective performance with the Panthers in 2023-24, hitting a crew-main 57 targets and 94 aspects. The versatile 28-twelve months-outdated appropriate winger also performs a procure defensive game and could additionally skate at center.
That effort ensures Reinhart a hefty expand on his subsequent contract. He earned an common annual price of $6.5 million on his three-twelve months care for the Panthers. Chicago would perchance perchance be properly-positioned to provide him over $10 million every twelve months on a long-term contract if he hits the originate market on July 1.
Including a skilled two-draw 50-aim scorer on Bedard’s fly could tempo up Chicago’s rebuild. He could change correct into a mentor to its young huge name and the different promising avid gamers on the roster. With the youngster as his setup man, Reinhart could relish extra 50-aim campaigns sooner than him.
In all likelihood, Reinhart could discontinuance up re-signing with the Panthers. Right thru an April 3 interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, he expressed his self belief they’re going to work out a novel deal. Nonetheless, it would expand eyebrows all the draw thru the league if he opted to sign with Chicago to play with Bedard.
Steven Stamkos: Montreal Canadiens 7 of seven
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The inspiration of Steven Stamkos leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1 appears unthinkable.
He is spent his entire 16-season NHL profession with them, turning into the face of the franchise. He is led them to 2 straight Stanley Cups and a Presidents’ Trophy plus he is their all-time leader with 555 targets and 1,137 aspects in 1,082 profession regular-season video games.
However, Stamkos accepted not as much as market price with the Lighting on his present contract and could survey a expand over his $8.5 million annual cap hit. With $11.8 million of cap rental for 2024-25 and 17 energetic roster avid gamers below contract, the Lightning could lose him to free company if they fail to bag sufficient cap rental to preserve him.
On Can also 2, Sportsnet’s David Morassutti looked at 5 capacity locations for Stamkos. One amongst which became once the Montreal Canadiens.
On the origin survey, that appears a horrible preference. The rebuilding Canadiens’ final playoff appearance became once the 2021 Stanley Cup Last when Stamkos and the Lightning defeated them in 5 video games. Stamkos is also 34 and would handiest be a brief lived contributor sooner than age begins to fulfill up with him.
However, Morassutti pointed out Stamkos’ ragged Lightning teammates Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis now work for the Canadiens, with the latter as head coach. Stamkos has respected St. Louis since their days as linemates. Montreal can manage to pay for him with Carey Sign and his $10.5 million cap hit on everlasting long-term anguish reserve.
No topic his age, Stamkos is coming off his seventh 40-aim season. He aloof has sufficient in the tank to lend a hand the Canadiens relieve their scoring punch. His management and trip would also own him a unheard of mentor for their young roster as they continue to make toward turning into contenders.